LinQs understand that your privacy is very important to you and the purpose of this policy is to assure you that every effort is and will be taken by LinQs to protect your privacy.

LinQs operate as LinQs Business Support and Training, LinQs Business Coaching and LinQs Marketing and we contract with clients to provide services as set out in our mutually agreed contract. These services include coaching, mentoring or training individual and groups of learners, delegates or candidates to an agreed agenda, learning plan or programme. Where we contract with other organisations to access their resources, services or products we ensure that they provide a privacy policy. Where we then in turn share their resources, services or products with clients we will provide access to those companies privacy policies.

Collecting personal data

LinQs may collect personal data when you contact us to enquire about services or register on our advertised events or programmes via phone, email, mail, website or in person. There may also be occasions when we receive an enquiry on your behalf via a third party. Generally this information relates to your name and contact details, job title, current employer, current learning or qualification level and area of interest in our service. Where you request to register for a course programme we will ask you to give information, as applicable, to comply with awarding body and funding agency terms and codes of practice.

Storing personal data

On receipt of any written personal data this is held and stored in a locked storage whilst being processed. As we store all data in secure cloud based systems the information will be transferred onto our cloud storage, which is password, and protected with additional security access. In the interest of security and restricted storage we will shred paper information and rely on our cloud stored data to manage our client’s services.

How we use personal data

We may use your personal data to:

Provide you with the LinQs service requested by you from us.

An example of this would be to share with you details of a qualification, take the necessary details via a registration form completed by you to identify contact for on going communication and employer commitment, assess your suitability and match the skills set of the new qualification, provide name, email and date of birth to register you as an individual unique learner on our Skilsure e-portfolio and register you via our centre administration with the awarding body, usually City & Guilds for ILM qualifications.

On going communication may be maintained via phone, email, mail, and video call in respect of this service contracted by you and your employer.

Where your contract with LinQs to deliver a training qualification we will comply with the privacy policies and disclose information in line with the UK laws and regulations, codes of practice and compliance required by government bodies such as OFSTED.

Your choices

We would like to maintain contact with you to keep you up to date on changes to our progress and from time to time ask for your assistance and support and keep in contact with you via phone, email or mail within our advised administration processes for your service.

Where we are party to professionally support qualifications to which you are registered we may from time to time be required legally to provide them with candidate learner information. We will take the necessary steps to ensure the security of your information.

Just as we value our data privacy, we will not sell or share your personal data with organisations for marketing purposes.

Who sees your personal data

The personal data that is collected from you is stored in our cloud storage and administration services using password-protected security.

Learners using our e-portfolio will be able to view the privacy policy of Skilsure, the e-portfolio hosts, who use servers in a secure facility. Within the LinQs e-portfolio, LinQs and our Centre, which is managed by the Brian Tea Management Centre, will manage your information. The Centre manages your details for registration, internal quality assurance and liaison with the awarding body quality and certification service in line with the national awarding body code of practice and legal requirements.

In the event of transfer of information between these provisions we will comply with our legal obligations and take all steps to ensure your information is treated securely in accordance with legislation.

Your information security

LinQs take the security of your personal data and our legal obligations extremely seriously. To ensure we uphold this we have implemented physical, technical and organisational procedures and policies to limit the personal data we have under our control and access, use, alteration, destruction and loss.

We only keep your personal data as long is reasonable and necessary to fulfil our statutory obligations. This may include those set by our contracts with funding and business agencies and statutory bodies.

Where personal data is held we maintain secure databases, cloud storage services and work with accredited business partners e.g. awarding body centres, funding agencies. Where we share access to you for example to your LinQs e-portfolio, hosted by Skilsure, your password is stored in your e-portfolio and in an encrypted file.

Where you link to other websites via our website links we cannot be held responsible for their privacy and security on leaving our website.

Your communications with our team at LinQs

Every effort has been made to ensure that our communications are secure. The majority of our communications are by phone, email or video call. We adhere to our service providers’ recommendations for security and regularly update in line with their recommendations, opting for the preferred secure options.

Updating your personal data

You may request an update to your personal data provided to LinQs and we will amend, remove, and delete any inaccuracies. Any requests will be checked with you to verify you are party to the changes requested and subsequently administered.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy is reviewed regularly to comply with legislation and changes to our processes and procedures. If changes made affect your personal data you will be advised by email of these changes in advance of the change, unless measures had to be taken to manage emergencies.

Contact LinQs

As stated throughout this policy, LinQs are committed to protecting your personal data. If you have any questions or wish to discuss further about the privacy of your personal data, contact us by either of the following: Email: info@linqs.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)1200 442482 In writing to LinQs Ltd, 17 Bracken Hey, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 1LW, UK